Today I saw a fresh parallel in the story of Ruth. Here we have two sisters in law both of whom lost husbands at young ages. (In those days the women were absorbed into their new family and its beliefs and lives.) They both loved their mother in law dearly and when she decided to return to her own land, they wanted to go with her. She encouraged them to go back to their families in Moab
And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house…
And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? …
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. Ruth 1:8-18
Orpah kisses Naomi and goes back to her past family. It is interesting to note that a kiss can be anything from a peck on the cheek to a full tongue experience thus indicating a variety of emotion depending on the kiss. Judas even used a kiss to betray our Lord, so a kiss is not clearly indicative of a person’s state of emotion. Orpah loved Naomi, but was still able to leave her and return to her old life. Ruth clave or clung to Naomi. Unlike kissing, clinging to a person means strong love, trust, and desire to remain with them no matter what. When Naomi tried to get Ruth to follow after Orpah, Ruth clarified her position and told Naomi to stop telling her to leave:
-where you go I will go
-where you stay I will stay
-your people will be my people
-your God will be my God
-where you die I will die and be buried
-only death will part us
Ruth desired to be with Naomi more than she wanted her old life or a new life without her. She would follow her completely with childlike trust. Ruth not only accepted a new life in a different land and people (and obeyed Naomi willingly despite her own personal preferences) but would let nothing separate her from Naomi, only death. Does this story not parallel our own adoption/ absorption into the family of God? So the real question is…
Are you like Orpah or Ruth?